Apple Opens In-App Subscription Discounts for Existing Users

Apps can use three discount models that let customers access a subscription for free for a limited time, pay a promotional price, or pay a one-time promotional price in each billing cycle – Apple already uses such incentives with its own Apple Music subscribers. Developers can also offer up to 1

0 active offers per subscription to test which ones work best. This added flexibility will be available with the latest beta versions of iOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4 and tvOS 12.2 using the StoreKit API. While the software is currently in beta, these changes are likely to be available to all when these software updates are fully released.

Apple started using the current app subscription model a few years ago. Apple makes 30 percent less revenue from apps in its first year, but apps that subscribe to customers for more than a year only need to grow by 15 percent. Keeping subscribers connected with these additional incentives could be a boon to developers, even if they have to offer discounts at short notice.